Crankshaft journal grinders



Sept. 10, 1963 s. GOLTEN 3,103,088

CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL GRINDERS Filed Dec. 6, 1961 INVENTOR Sigurd GOHGII'I BY PM 3% ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,103,4l88 CRANKSHAFT EUURNAL GRENDERS Sigurd Golten, Wayne County, NJ. (lfit) Van Brunt St, Brooklyn 31, N21.) Filed Dec. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 157,537 2 Claims. (Cl. Slh-Zdl) This invention relates to crankshaft journal grinders. Its broad object is to provide improved means for regrinding main and crankpin journals in large marine engines without removing the crankshaft from the engine and without laying up the ship for more than a few days.

A journal bearing usually contacts only the central portion of the journal, the ends of the bearing being chamfered to provide clearance so that they never touch narrow ring areas of the journal adjacent the crankcheeks. The practice of using the undamaged ring areas as reference surfaces in regrinding crankshaft journals, to insure that the refinished journal will be coaxial with the original journal, is now well known. Sometimes, however, the damage extends to and eliminates the said ring areas, or the journal is worn on \one side half an inch, more or less, out of round so that regrinding the journal concentric with its original axis would reduce its diameter an inch, more or less, to the point where fracture might occur under load. An object of this invention is to provide guiding rings attached to the crankshaft to guide the grinding mechanism in its rotation about the journal, to insure that the refinished journal will be as large as possible, even though eccentric to the original axis. Any slight change in length of piston stroke or in timing can be compensated for by making suitable adjustments in other parts of the engine.

Another object is to provide means for refinishing crankshaft journals more expeditiously anywhere in the world. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification in connection with the drawings in which FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the invention in position on a crankshaft; and FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Briefly described, the invention consists of a pair of rings attached to the crankcheeks on either side of a damaged journal, with the grinding mechanism operab-ly mounted thereon.

Referring to the drawings, crankshaft has damaged journal 11 connecting crankcheeks 12. Two-part guide rings 3 are suitably fastened as by cap screws 4 to crankcheeks 12, the tapped hole :for cap screws 4 having been previously provided by the operator. The holes in guide rings 3 which receive cap screws 4 are larger in diameter than cap screws 4 permitting adjustment of guide rings 3 to be either coaxial with the original journal 11 or eccentric thereto. The eccentricity may be enough to produce the largest possible refinished journal from the damaged journal.

Plates 13, each comprising two parts suitably joined as by bolts 14-, are operably mounted on guide rings 3 which are selected to be of a diameter greater than that of the journal to be operated upon. The two plates 13 are spaced apart and connected by telescopic rods 15.

Mounted on rods 15 is the grinding assembly consisting of carriage 16, motor 17, and grinding cupwheel 20. Carriage 16 may be moved axially on rods 15 to permit cupwheel 20 to traverse the full length of journal 11. Cupwheel 20 may be moved tangentially to journal 11 by carriage handwheel 26. Feed screw may be backed off to allow cupwheel 20' to come into grinding contact with journal 11. The entire grinding assembly may be rotated about journal 11 on guide rings 3 more than a full revolution by sprocket wheel and a chain (not shown).

In setting up, the mechanism is assembled in position around the damaged journal with cap screws 4 only finger tight. Then the entire mechanism is moved bodily to the desired eccentric position where the refinished journal will be of the largest possible diameter, or otherwise as desired. Then cap screws 4 are tightened to clamp th mechanism securely in the desired position. i

In operation the grinding mechanism is operably mounted \on guide rings 3. Motor 17 may be driven by air or by an electric current. Cupwheel 20 is fed intogrinding contact with journal 11 by feed screw 25 and may be moved tangentially relative to journal 11 by handwheel 2 6 and rotated about journal 11 by sprocket wheel 3t) until a portion of journal 11 has been reground coaxial with guide rings 3, whereupon the grinding assembly may be moved axially on rods 16 into position to regrind another portion of journal 11 coaxial with guide rings 3, until the entire journal 11 has been refinished.

Having thus described the invention and its operation, it is clear that the objects as stated have been attained in a practical manner. While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is understood that changes may be made in the construction and the arrangement of the various parts of the invention Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A grinding assembly for use in connection with an engine having a crankshaft which includes at least one damaged journal connecting two crankcheeks: a pair of coaxial guide rings surrounding said journal and eccentric thereto, the inner diameter of said guide rings being substantially greater than the diameter of said journal; ad justable means for clamping said guide rings to said crankshaft vin a position eccentric to said journal, said adjustable means including holes in said guide rings and cap screws passing through said holes, the diameter of said holes being substantially greater than the diameter of said cap screws; and mechanism for regrinding said journal without removing the crankshaft from the engine, said mechanism comprising a pair of plates operably mounted on said guide rings, telescopic rods connecting said plates, a carriage slidable on said rods, 2. motor mounted on said carriage, a grinding cupwheel carried by said motor, means for feeding said cupwheel into grinding contact with said journal, means for moving said cupwheel in a plane parallel to the axis of said guide rings, and means for rotating said mechanism more than one full revolution relative to said journal.

2. A grinding assembly for use in connection with an engine having a crankshaft which includes at least one damaged journal connecting two crankcheeks: a pair of coaxial guide rings surrounding said journal and eccentric thereto, the inner diameter of said guide rings being substantially greater than the diameter of said journal; adjustable means for clamping said guide rings to said crankshaft in a position eccentric to said journal, said adjustable means including holes in said guide rings and cap screws passing through said holes, the diameter of said holes being substantially greater than the diameter of said cap screws; and mechanism for regrinding said journal without removing the crankshaft from the engine, said mechanism operably mounted on said guide rings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,670,580 Stiles Mar. 2, 1954 2,818,685 Becker Jan. 7, 1958 2,937,479 Golten May 24, 1960 

2. A GRINDING ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AN ENGINE HAVING A CRANKSHAFT WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST ONE DAMAGED JOURNAL CONNECTING TWO CRANKCHEEKS: A PAIR OF COAXIAL GUIDE RINGS SURROUNDING SAID JOURNAL AND ECCENTRIC THERETO, THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID GUIDE RINGS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID JOURNAL; ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR CLAMPING SAID GUIDE RINGS TO SAID CRANKSHAFT IN A POSITION ECCENTRIC TO SAID JOURNAL, SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANS INCLUDING HOLES IN SAID GUIDE RINGS AND CAP SCREWS PASSING THROUGH SAID HOLES, THE DIAMETER OF SAID HOLES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID CAP SCREWS; AND MECHANISM FOR REGRINDING SAID JOURNAL WITHOUT REMOVING THE CRANKSHAFT FROM THE ENGINE, SAID MECHANISM OPERABLY MOUNTED ON SAID GUIDE RINGS. 